Two bodies representing the interests of the domain name industry, the Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) and The Domain Name Association (DNA) have announced they are merging to form the largest internet infrastructure advocacy group in North America.
Blacknight CEO and domain name industry stalwart Michele Neylon has been appointed Chair Elect of the i2Coalition Board of Directors. Neylon’s position as Chair Elect became effective on 1 January and he will assume his role as Chair in January 2018. Until that time, Neylon will work with the current Board Chair David Snead.The i2Coalition, or Internet Infrastructure Coalition, was founded in 2012 by a diverse group of internet infrastructure companies. The organisation supports and represents those who build the nuts and bolts of the internet from around the world.
The organisation’s membership comprises diverse and innovative key players and includes hosting providers, domain registries, domain registrars, cloud services providers, data centres, payment processors, software developers and more. The i2Coalition is funded by member dues and our agenda and projects are set by members.Neylon is an accomplished and outspoken advocate of the internet infrastructure industry and with a list of roles it is likely he never sleeps! He participates in the ICANN GNSO Council, Content Advisory Board of WorldHostingDays, the usTLD Stakeholder Council of Neustar, Inc., the Policy Advisory Committee of .ie Domain Registry, and the Advisory Board Member of HostingCon. He is an award winning social media evangelist and blogger, speaker of four languages, and a passionate philanthropist. Founded in 2002 by Michele Neylon, Blacknight quickly became Ireland’s largest hosting and domain provider, as well as an ICANN accredited registrar. Blacknight joined the i2Coalition in 2013.”I’m pleased for the opportunity to work with Michele in 2017 to ensure that i2Coalition’s important voice continues to flourish.” said Snead. “Michele has been a strong leader, speaking up for this industry to protect it and help it grow. Through i2Coalition, I’m confident that he can help inspire others and grow the impressive voice that we have all built.””Now more than ever it’s vital that the internet industry has a strong voice in protecting both our interests and those of our clients.” said Neylon. “I am honoured to have been selected to lead the industry association that speaks for companies of all sizes on both sides of the Atlantic.”
“i2Coalition is thrilled to have Afilias, the worldâs leading provider of technical solutions that make Internet addresses more accessible and useful, on our side as we fight for an open Internet and the environment of growth and innovation that it fosters,” said Christian Dawson, i2Coalition co-founder and Board Chair. “Afilias will be the first registry to join i2Coalition, and we are excited to add their global expertise in the field of registry services to our ever-expanding alliance of industry-leading organizations.”
i2Coalition is the principal voice and leading advocate for the Internet infrastructure industry, educating the general public about the Internet industry and working with lawmakers to help them understand how public policy might affect the free and open Internet. i2Coalition promotes market-driven standards and facilitates public policy, education and advocacy in an industry-unified voice. Members of i2Coalition will receive the support and tools they need to be heard in Washington and by their state and local officials.
“The Internet continues to grow at a blazing pace, supporting communications and careers for billions of people around the world,” said Roland LaPlante, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Afilias. “And now, with the advent of hundreds of new generic Top-Level Domains about to go live, it is more important than ever to ensure global interoperability on both technical and regulatory levels. We embrace the mission of the Internet Infrastructure Coalition and, as a member, will work closely with other like-minded industry players towards an open Internet that works for everybody.”
About i2Coalition
The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) supports those who build the nuts and bolts of the Internet, and we treat it like the noble profession that it is. We believe the continued growth of the Internet is vital for growing an environment of innovation in America and seek to engage in ways to foster success of the Internet and Internet infrastructure industry. We seek to influence decision makers to weigh decisions on whether they are good or bad for the Internet economy and its foundational industries. In short, we seek to foster growth within the Internet infrastructure industry by driving others to harness the Internet’s full potential. To learn more about i2Coalition, visit www.i2Coalition.com.
About Afilias
Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afiliasâ reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications including Internet domain registry services and Managed DNS. For more information on Afilias, visit www.afilias.info.